Another Way
by kNOrdinarylauren25
Summary: Another story for Alex and Jo! There is no summary because if you've read my other stories, you already know that this could go anywhere! I like surprises. So I'll just leave it as Another Story! (: Hope you all enjoy though! Expect the unexpected because you never know what will happen or who will show up! ;)
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's note: Another story! I just take an idea and simply go with it. I have so much I want to try and write and too many ways to write it I guess. If anyone is following any of my other stories, don't worry because I don't slow down. I just have to write them as I go otherwise yeah… If you want to know a little about me click my profile. It'll give a little insight about the reason I write. If you like my stories, Thank You, because I enjoy writing them. And knowing they are being enjoyed makes it that much better. So here you all are. Hope y'all enjoy! **___

Just a while ago in the moment it had happened Jo had only remembered thinking about how pissed she was so she kept asking herself why she couldn't forget one single word of the fight that she'd just had with Alex. She didn't mean all of it…necessarily. She was just so damn hurt. Why would he do that? She kept asking herself as she remembered the words over and over again in her head.

"Why did you tell him that?"

"What?"

"That I'm a homeless dumpster diver? I don't tell anyone. You don't tell people about me!"

"You told me"

"Yea it's called a secret Alex. It's what friends tell each other."

"Look, what's the deal? What did he say?"

"Why would I even tell you? It's so stupid. What's the point of a new start if there's always some dumbass dragging you back down?"

"Whoa… Whoa Listen"

"No you listen. You don't tell people about me. You don't talk about me or to me. Ever!"

After everything that Jo had been through that day. Those are the only words that kept playing over and over again in her head. She couldn't stop them from repeating. She was so damn mad and most of all hurt. Not to mention confused and worried and scared and a little nauseous at that.

Could he have really thought that everybody knew? They had never really talked openly about it and he always made fun of her so no one ever cared really to ask much about the Ho-Bo Jo comment.

He had been her best friend. She trusted him. Really he was her everything at that point in her life.

She then asked herself whatever possessed her to trust him in the first place. She didn't really know why. When he caught her upset on the roof that day, it wasn't that she cared what he thought, or that she was trying to give him a reason not to call her all those mean names. She just felt a connection with him instantly and she simply trusted him.

It was that simple. She didn't know how to explain it or why. It just happened.

She had just been waiting on a best friend and something about Alex made her choose him. She didn't know what it was. Obviously it had not been about sex. They didn't have any. He didn't with her anyway.

But he made her laugh. He made her see things differently. He had an attitude that could match her on. And it drove her crazy. But at the same time, it gave her a reason to drive him crazy. And she loved driving him crazy. He had somehow become simply her best friend.

She loved being loud and obnoxious all the while he'd be smirking while trying to control his laughter. She loved challenging him. And he loved challenging her. They had just fit together. It worked.

She didn't even really know much about him at first. Only what people said around the hospital. And you can usually only believe half of that. And usually people believe the wrong half she told herself.

But she knew he was a man-whore who had slept with practically every woman in the hospital and especially interns. She knew he had an attitude. She knew he had some trust issues. And she just simply knew he was going through a lot as was she. Another reason she may have be-friended him she tried telling herself.

It's not like she was best friends with everyone. Really it was just him and only him.

It came out of nowhere really. She didn't know what to expect or to expect anything at all for that matter. She was just doing what she needed to do for herself and she had worked damn hard to get there and then she allowed Alex in on her life.

He was just simply her damn best friend. And she thought that he'd felt the same.

So why would he go and mess it up like that she kept asking herself over and over again.

And now, of all things, she had to sit here and look at him all the while thinking about him. The last place she wanted to be right now was at Joe's bar. And she was cursing herself even more seeing how Alex was here too. She couldn't stop thinking about him.

She and Peckwell had just got into a huge screaming match at the hospital right before she got to Joe's and that was right after she had got into a huge screaming match with Alex. And she wanted nothing more than to scream as loud as she could somewhere other than here.

She let Peckwell convince, well rather practically drag, her to the bar with him. He kept insisting that they just needed to loosen up a little. He made it sound like getting drunk at the bar would cause them to forget about their fight. Or maybe he hoped it would. Or maybe he was trying to. She didn't know.

She knew Peckwell had been a decent guy. And she told him she was going to move in with him. But after the yelling that they had just done it had her feeling otherwise.

And there was the fact that even though she was sitting at the bar beside her so-called boyfriend now and she couldn't take her mind off of her best friend boyfriend that was sitting less than 20 feet away from her at the moment.

She couldn't believe Alex would go and do such a thing. She just kept telling herself it over and over again. Not only did he ruin their friendship, he ruined her relationship with Peckwell because she never really had any doubts until now.

She couldn't help but blame herself also though. She was going to move in with Peckwell and he didn't even know the truth about her past. And after seeing how he reacted she knew she would never trust him with anything ever. She had never felt that way till Alex blabbed but damn maybe he was right and she was okay with Peckwell not knowing.

She didn't know how to feel about herself anymore. All she knew was that the only two people she had even let into her life at all were both causing her heart to break. She didn't really know how to feel about either one of them anymore either. And she could not, not think about it because they were both right there in the same damn room with her causing her to think about it.

So since she was in a bar for now, she was going to use it to her advantage to do what she could to not think about either of them at the moment. She was about to get damn drunk and she knew it because she suddenly escaped mid-thought long enough and hollered at Joe to keep them coming.

Alex sat at his table along with Avery and Stephanie just watching Jo from behind who sat at the bar with Peckwell. He felt terrible about letting her secret slip but he had no idea that she hadn't told anyone else. He knew she and Peckwell had been fighting just a little while ago and he hoped that it wasn't because of that but he figured it was.

But she was sitting at the bar with him now and while he had hoped for Jo's sake only that they had worked it out, he knew that Jo didn't feel that way because she had already drank three drinks since she'd been there and he just watched her call for another one.

He knew Jo. They drank together all the time so he knew she couldn't handle them like that especially that fast. He just felt so damn terrible. He wanted to take it back so bad. He wanted to take her pain away so bad.

It was if she wasn't with Peckwell at all. He had barely seen her speak a word to him. He could tell by the way she was drinking that really she didn't even want to say anything to him at all. He could tell that she just wanted to forget about it all.

And that's exactly what she was doing he told himself as he watched Jo order yet another round from the bar. It was if Peckwell didn't even give a damn that she was getting herself trashed. He didn't even care that she was sitting there alone in thought. It was if her just being there beside him as show was good enough for him.

Alex didn't want that. He could tell she was hurting. He knew she was hurting and he just wanted to be there for her, give her someone to talk to, be her best friend. And Peckwell was just ignoring her letting her pass the time getting completely wasted while he passed the time yacking to some of his buddies.

But what Alex saw next had his fist clenching and his jaw tightening.

He watched Jo get up to go what was probably only the bathroom considering all the drinks she just downed but as she started Peckwell grabbed her arm as if she was going to leave and he was never going to let her.

Alex was in mid-stance when Peckwell grabbed her. He could tell exactly what kind of grab that was. But as soon as Peckwell did it he saw Jo reassuring him that she was going to the bathroom and then she did exactly that.

Alex knew for sure if it hadn't happened so quickly that he would have already confronted the guy and he was going to but then he couldn't help remember the fact that Jo had told him to stay out of her business so he didn't want to make things worse for her when she came out of the bathroom or at all for that matter.

So then he thought about maybe trying to confront Jo when she came out of the bathroom. That wouldn't work he tried telling himself. She was surely too drunk. And he didn't want to cause a scene. He didn't know how she would react.

Even though he had been staring at her all night, she hadn't looked his way since she entered the bar. He wasn't even sure if she knew that he was there.

But then he saw Peckwell get up and head towards the bathroom. He couldn't even give her 5 minutes to herself and the thought pissed him off more than anything. And then he thought about how Peckwell was the only reason he had given her 5 minutes alone anyway. He just thought she liked him.

He wanted to talk to her and to explain to her so damn bad that he didn't mean to let her secret slip. He never meant to hurt her and he would give anything not to have hurt her.

He came out of thought quick though when he saw Jo running from the bathroom hall rather fast. Too fast Alex thought. She was moving pretty damn intently for as drunk as she was. And she looked like she had been crying. He wanted to go after her so damn bad but then he saw a drunken Peckwell making his way after her.

So Alex assumed they had got into another argument and Peckwell was running after her to apologize. He didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do. But everything in his gut was telling him to go after her. But as fast as she was running he wasn't even sure that Peckwell could have caught up to her.

What could he have said, or even worse, done to have her jetting out of there like that Alex wondered. They were only in there for mere minutes so not much could have played out he told himself.

He was already in a standing position and Avery and Stephanie were watching him like they knew what he was about to do. But he didn't know what he was about to do or what he should do. He didn't know where she would go. And on top of it all he sure as hell didn't want to make things worse for her.

Avery was trying to help bring out Alex out of thought and was really just giving him options between just standing there.

So he asked him "If you're not leaving man, you wanna go get us another couple of beers from the bar?"

"Sure" Alex said really not even knowing what he was agreeing to. He just couldn't get his mind off Jo.

But he guessed he heard some of it because his feet were suddenly moving themselves towards the bar. But he couldn't get rid of the gut feeling that something was wrong with Jo.

And that's when he heard her name and it was coming from the bar. He was sure they were talking about her because it was coming from one of the two guys Peckwell had just been talking to. And then what he heard next made him want to find Peckwell and break his bones one at a time.

He heard one of Peckwells douche-bag friends say "That Jo chick is hot. Guess Meyers isn't getting any tonight like he thought. Can you believe he hasn't got her to give it up." Both friends just laughed.

Alex was infuriated. He had no idea. Why would she have never told him that before? Did she not trust him like that? Did she think he would not want her? Or in his case maybe only want her because of that?

Then he asked himself why she would she trust him at all with something like that anyway? Now while reminding himself he just went and blew what little trust they did have out of the water, he then wondered if she'd ever trust him at all.

He had to find her though. He knew Peckwell had a pissed off look on his face. He just didn't know that was the reason why. He wanted to punch both of Peckwell's friends in the face. But he knew he didn't have time for that so he quickly ran out of the bar into the night's air.

Everything felt so calm, too calm. It was if he was in a dream. He was standing across the street from a hospital, Grey Sloan Hospital, at that and he heard nothing.

He knew in his gut something was wrong, way wrong.

He knew Jo was drunk and he knew she wasn't stupid. But she also wasn't one much for attention that she did want. And he knew Jo wouldn't want everyone knowing about this. So he knew she would have run into the hospital to probably try and hide somewhere. But if Peckwell ran in after her then he surely wouldn't show his ass.

Alex just didn't know. So he ran towards the hospital hoping to find Jo. She had to be there. He knew it. And he was just making his way into the front doors' when his pager went off. Damn it he told himself.


	2. Chapter 2

Alex ran as fast he could to the E.R. where Meredith had just paged him from. He knew Meredith and he knew she wouldn't be paging him 911 when he wasn't on call unless it was seriously serious. So he ran as fast he thought he possibly could not being able to shake the eerie feeling that was now consuming his body.

He hated not knowing and although he had no idea of what to really expect. It could be anything he tried telling himself but in his gut he already knew that it was something to do with Jo.

So Alex made his way into the E.R. when he spotted an anxious Meredith peeling her eyes around the room in what he was sure what was in searching for him.

She had just paged him, so obviously, but little did he know that his World was really in fact about to get turned upside down because he took that moment in between Meredith's current stride towards him to think that this was all in fact was just simply an eerie feeling that people got when they worried about the unknown. And especially about the unexpected!

He had hoped but as Meredith made her way closer to him, he knew that something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Meredith was now standing in front of him and as much as Alex tried preparing for what he was about to hear, little did he know that this was just the first part of the major unexpected.

He listened to her as he knew she was trying to beat around the bush "Look Alex, I have two things to tell you but you have to promise me you're not going to freak out. Promise me, Alex because when I tell you this, I know you're going to freak out and I can't let that happen, and you know I can't so promise Alex."

And as much as he wasn't trying to be mean to her in any way especially because he didn't even know what she was going to say, he couldn't help but be Alex and he let his mouth get the best of him. He was in fact already freaking out.

"Look Mere, just tell me what the hell happened. Then I'll decide whether I'm going to freak the hell out or not. Tell me what the hell it is now." He demanded and when he saw the look on her face, he instantly turned into the Alex she knew and continued with

"Look Mere, I'll try not to freak out so just tell me, damn it!" he said in a much calmer tone but he was in fact still already freaking out and Meredith knew it.

"Okay" she then started. "But I swear Alex if you go and do something stupid then I'm not sure you'll even be able to save yourself from this one."

He just gave her a look that said just spit it out already and so she did

"Jo is over behind that farthest curtain and she said that she fell down some stairs but I.."

Alex then cut her off "What?" Everything in his gut had told him he was right. He knew something was wrong and stomach then completely dropped out because he was thinking the absolute worst but then he realized what Meredith had said. She said that "Jo Said"

"She said? She's okay?" Alex was actually relieved. He knew that Peckwell had attacked her but at least she was okay. He actually thought that the feeling in the pit of his stomach was about to go away but little did he know it wasn't going anywhere because as he was making his way towards where she said Jo was, Meredith stopped him dead in his tracks.

"But Peckwell is in the ICU, he…I guess…they both were a little drunk and they both tripped over on their own feet and fell down the stairs, I guess, I haven't really got the whole story but he's in pretty bad shape, Alex."

Alex wasn't expecting that but he still had enough common sense to know that Peckwell had still been attacking Jo and that she was probably just defending herself and they both then lost their balance and fell.

And although, he didn't really give a shit about Peckwell, at least Meredith said Jo was okay, so he still went to make his way to where she was.

And just as he thought that he was about to lose that bad feeling, it then became worse, because the last thing he was expecting Meredith to say, she said.

"Jo said they were just walking and talking and that they fell because they both had been tipsy and that the only reason they were here was to get something that she had left but I don't know Alex, it just doesn't…"

But Alex was already gone. He had to get to her. He knew what she was trying to do and he wasn't about to let her do it if he had his way, which he thought he would.

He had to let her know that he was there for her and that she could tell the truth but little did he know was that this was about to be just another little part of the big unexpected.

Alex then pulled back the curtain and pulled it back around behind him. He then saw Jo and she was just lying there with her eyes wide open. He knew that she was probably still wasted. Shit, she had to be he thought, but he had to let her know he was there for her.

He just wasn't expecting her to speak up first and say "Look Alex, just leave me alone. I don't need you blabbing my business to everybody… Just go. You need to stay away from me, please leave. Okay!"

And as much as Alex was expecting her to sound drunk, she didn't at all. But he still knew that she was just too scared to tell the truth so he was simply trying to be what he always had, her best friend. And he was doing exactly in his Alex way. Hard-core!

"Look Jo, you don't have to…I know what happened. Okay? It's Okay!" he started but she quickly cut him off.

"How the hell would you possibly know what happened? You think you know everything about me now, huh? Well guess what Alex? You don't! So you need to just leave me alone, okay!"

"No I'm not" he started "I'm not going to leave you alone because I can see it in your face and I know that you're lying. You know that you and Peckwell didn't accidently fall down those stairs, and you know it. So don't give me that bullshit, Jo! I' m not going to let anything happen to you, I promise! But just tell the truth, damn it Jo. He shouldn't get away for pushing you down the stairs whether he got hurt in the process or not. I saw what y'all screaming here earlier. And I saw y'all at the bar and him grab you too. And Jo, I know he was trying to attack you in the bathroom. I heard his friends bragging about how he was going to try and get in your pants for the first time tonight. He's a douche, Jo and damn it I told you all along. Will just stop lying so I can help you take care of this all?"

Alex knew for sure that he was the one that maybe have underestimated how much he had in fact drank that night because everything he said came out way more demanding than what he planned for it to sound and worse than that, it came out way more loud.

Jo could not believe it. Of all the nerve he had! Now he was blabbing her business to everyone even more. She was sure it got around the hospital by now about what had happened and she was sure that there were ears behind those curtains listening to everything that they said.

She was just so mad and hurt on top of it all. Of all the nerve for him to assume anything at all, she kept thinking. And although most of his assuming had been right, she knew the one thing that he assumed wrong, and it scared the hell out of her.

Hence the reason she was lying in the first place, she was scared as hell.

She knew that Alex had been right about obviously having seen Peckwell and her have a fight, and he obviously saw what he saw at the bar. And although she didn't hear Peckwell's friends at the bar, she knew Alex was right about assuming what went on in the bathroom because Peckwell's friends were right.

And it wasn't too hard for him to figure out that Peckwell had then chased after her to attack her because he did.

But what Alex had assumed all wrong was that Peckwell pushed her down the stairs because he didn't.

And it scared the hell out of her.

She knew that Peckwell had no right putting his hands on her and she did what anyone would do in that moment, she tried to defend herself. But she was drunk and so was Peckwell so when he went to grab her, she pushed back as hard as she could and he tripped backwards and fell down the stairs.

And in the midst of it all, she couldn't keep stance of her own drunken self, and Peckwell had managed to pull her down right along with him.

It hurt then and it hurt now but Peckwell had actually eased her landing because she basically landed on-top of him. He was okay at first, she knew that, because she tried to run away immediately and of all things he did what he only had the strength to do. He pulled her towards him and bit the shit out of her arm. That's when she let out a scream and a nurse ran in and found them.

Peckwell was then unconscious and Jo was drunk and well she just didn't know. She freaked the hell out. She thought about her life, her career. She just wasn't thinking clearly at all and she knew that she could actually end up expecting anything out of this if she were to say that they were fighting and she pushed him.

No one knew, shit she didn't even know, that he was violent until that night.

And she thought quickly about how he was the rich OB with the nice house and the super nice family and about how she was the poor intern with no house and no family. She knew what the justice system was capable of and for all she knew if Peckwell died, she could be charged with murder.

And if Peckwell did live, she figured he would agree with her lie any day over the actual truth not only for his own career but just simply for his own life as well.

So Jo told the nurse the first thing that popped into her head and that was that it was an accident, that they were drunk, and that they tripped and fell.

And the last thing she had expected to happen was for Alex to come around giving a damn. She didn't care how much she had to drink because it didn't untwist the knots in her stomach for him doing her the way he did earlier blabbing all her business. And it sure didn't take them away now that he was standing right in front of her doing it again.

She let it run through her mind quickly about how she just didn't understand how Alex could care so little about their friendship.

Yes, he was here now in what he may have thought was trying to help her, but she thought it was the farthest thing from help at all.

She had in fact worked too hard her entire life to allow two dumbass guys to bring her down she tried telling herself.

So all she heard was what she wanted to hear and that was just more blabber coming out of his mouth. He didn't know anything about her, she tried telling herself. Or he wouldn't know anything else about her.

She damned herself for the way all of the good in her life turned out.

And that's what she didn't understand. She still considered Alex good.

Here he was in front of her, not really caring how she felt at all, she thought for sure. One, he was being flat out loud, controlling, and almost just mean about it all. And two, that was the last thing she needed, she didn't need anyone trying to control her when she couldn't even control herself. And she didn't need anyone else being mean to her because she knew she was mean enough to herself.

And that's the only thing she thought she would always understand. Why she still considered herself bad.

If Alex was truly her best friend like she had thought, he would have approached not only her but the entire situation way differently she tried reminding herself.

And then she also reminded herself that Alex was too good for her and that she was definitely too bad for him.

So she said the first thing her mind wanted to "Just stay out of my damn business okay! I told you already, I don't need some dumbass bringing me down." And then she sounded drunk again because she said it and she meant it. But she said and she meant it, loud. And that wasn't her.

And even though Alex knew that wasn't her. He couldn't help but still be still be Alex and a little drunk Alex at that and said the last thing he wanted to say.

"I may be a dumbass but you're the dumbass for letting Peckwell actually bring you down. I can't believe you are going to lie like that for him, Jo." And with that he turned and walked away.

She felt terrible. She wanted to take back everything already.

He felt terrible. He wanted to take back everything already.

But still, Alex went on making his way out of the hospital when Meredith tried to stop him "I'm sorry Alex! And I'm sorry more because I don't know how you're going to take what I have to tell you next. It was the second thing from earlier. And even though I don't want you to freak out…"

He cut her off "Look Mere! Whatever it is, I don't give a damn." And with that he was gone. He was just so mad.

So Meredith went back into the hospital to talk to Jo who was already trying to make her way out of there as well.

"I'm sorry about Alex, Jo! And I'm sorry more because I don't know you're going to take what I have to tell you about him next."

Meredith knew she just had to get it over with and although she wasn't expecting to hear what Jo said, she was totally expecting it.

"Look, Dr. Grey! Whatever it is, I don't give a damn." And with that she was gone. She was just so mad.

Meredith just stood there. She didn't know what she was expecting to get through to either of them in this state anyway but it was because she knew that they were both in fact going to give a damn, a BIG damn!

And that's when Meredith saw her coming. She just walked up and smiled "Geez Meredith, what was all that about?"

"Izzie" Meredith softly spoke. She couldn't believe she was actually there.


	3. Chapter 3

Jo ran and she ran as fast as she could considering that she was pretty drunk. And although she was running, she had no idea where she was running to. She had just run from the place where she spent most of her time. And she just ran from both of the people that she spent most of her time with.

So when she came upon a park bench nearby the hospital, she sat down on the bench and she cried. Not fake Jo tears either, these were genuine tears.

She had no idea how she had gotten to this point. Although she wasn't completely happy with herself, she thought she was happy when she woke up this morning, and now her whole world had fallen completely apart.

She didn't even know what to think about Peckwell so she tried to not think about him at all. Even though that should have been her main concern at the moment, she still couldn't quit thinking about Alex.

Her heart had been hurting all night and it had nothing to do with Peckwell or even what Alex had blabbed out either time. It was hurting because she and Alex were fighting and she wanted nothing more than for things to be okay between them.

So she kept asking herself why. Not only why Alex would be so mean and inconsiderate but also why she wanted nothing more than for them to be able to just be them again.

She wanted to talk to him so bad. She wanted to be honest with him about everything, she wanted to tell him everything about how she felt about everything and she didn't even know why.

Obviously he didn't give a shit about her she kept trying to convince herself. She didn't understand any of it at all and she wanted to. And so she was going to. She had in fact worked too hard her entire life to let some dumbass bring her down but she wasn't just going to let him walk all over her like everyone else in her life had. She wanted to know why and she was damn sure about to ask him.

So she picked herself up off the park bench and she knew exactly where she was going.

000

Alex couldn't stop pacing around his living room from the moment he walked in his door. He was just so damn mad. He could not believe that Jo was going to lie for that asshole like that.

But he realized that that was the last thing on his mind because he couldn't get the look of Jo's hurt filled eyes out of his head.

He was so damn mad at himself. He knew that she was scared. He remembered how his Mom used to act when she was around his father. And although Jo had an opportunity to tell him and he couldn't help but be mad at him on self for blowing that one opportunity. And it wasn't only then, he knew that he had completely blown her trust away by letting her secret slip earlier.

And so he couldn't help but be mad himself because he knew he had caused her all this unnecessary drama that she didn't need or deserve.

But he was Alex and he just couldn't stop himself from being so damn mad. He knew what was right yet he still couldn't think right. Or at least he didn't think he was.

He was angry but instead of taking it out of anyone and everyone, he just wanted to make things right with Jo.

He didn't know how to feel and that was because he had never felt this way before.

He felt a connection with her that was unexplainable.

He couldn't stop thinking about her. And he couldn't stop thinking about how he just wanted her to be happy. He knew she was in a mess right now and he wanted nothing more than for them to just get passed it all and move on with their lives.

And he wanted them to move on with their lives together he told himself.

She was his best friend. And he knew that he had been hers. He couldn't help but want to kick himself for being so damn stupid.

How could he let his mouth get the best of him like that? He had always let his mouth do the talking first and he had never really cared to change it until now. He was trying to understand it all but he couldn't. His feelings for her were just so unexplainable and he had been and still was just so damn scared.

He then tried to understand what he already knew, but could never convince himself of until now, and that was that not everyone was always going to treat him the same.

Jo didn't treat him the same. She was different than any other girl he had ever met.

Yes he had loved Izzie and even other women throughout his life. But this was a different with Jo. This was almost an out of body experience because he could not explain the feeling that immediately took over him at the dawning realization that he wanted nothing more than to find Jo and make things right with her.

He wanted to care about her and he wanted to be there for her. He wanted to talk to her and most of all laugh with her again. And he even wanted to fight with her to prove he was right when he was because if that's what it would take to get through to her then that's what it would take.

He knew he was right about everything earlier. He was just confused, scared, and then hurt mixed with a little drunk, and he was just an idiot, he told himself.

Jo was drunk, scared, confused, and hurt too he then reminded himself. And he felt worse than he thought he could ever possibly feel.

He knew why she lied and although he was still mad, he was only mad at himself and Peckwell of course. She had needed him and he let her down.

He had to get her to tell the truth and as hard as he thought it might be, he then told himself he could do it. He could convince her that he was her best friend. He could prove to her how much he cared.

He just had to find her and get her to set still long enough to listen. He knew that would be the hardest part.

As much as she actually drove him crazy, he wanted it, he wanted her.

She was his kind of crazy and he wanted her. He didn't care if she was crazy or if he was crazy or not. He wanted them to be crazy together and he knew that they could.

Whether they were just to continue being friends or whether he did what his heart was trying to tell him, he just had to find her and be there for her. He just couldn't put into words how he was feeling.

He just had to make things right first and then they could go from there and he knew that he had to do it and he had to do it now. He couldn't bare another second feeling the way he did now.

So he grabbed his hoodie and he headed out the door, he knew exactly where he was going.

000

"Izzie" Meredith said as she gave her friend a hug.

"Mere, I missed you so much!" Izzie just simply smiled. She had missed her so much, she had missed the hospital so much, and she had missed Alex so much. She knew what she was here for and so she got straight to the point.

"Where's Alex? I have to see him, Meredith" she told her friend cool and confidently.

"Izzie, I don't know if that's…." Meredith started. She loved Izzie and she loved Alex. And she knew that Alex had loved Izzie. And although she knew Alex had said he and Jo weren't a thing, she knew him and she knew that was bullshit. She had just seen the way he and Jo both reacted just then. And although anyone else would've sworn their eyes were full of rage, she knew they were full of passion.

"No Mere, I have to see him. I have to talk to him. I have to explain some things so do you know where he is?" Izzie cut her off in a hurried but in her optimistic voice.

She was Izzie, she was just so lovable and kind and Meredith couldn't help but still consider her a best friend and although Izzie still was one her best friends, she still felt it was wrong for her to coming crashing back into their lives like that.

And that's exactly what it was, crashing.

She remembered how Addison just flaunted her way back into not only Derek's life but her life as well. As if she could treat Derek however she wanted and he would still choose her because that's the man he was, because they were married, or whatever she thought was right. But it was wrong, she had done him sorry, and it was wrong.

And although she knew that Izzie and Alex had loved each other, she also knew that Derek had loved Addison and she reminded herself where they were all now standing.

She knew it was wrong the way Izzie had left Alex and she couldn't help but feel that he needed someone other than her.

Everyone had a person she reminded herself and until Jo, she probably would've sworn Alex's was Izzie, but now she wasn't so sure.

She knew that things change, feelings change, and most importantly people change. But she had no idea how this would affect any of them. Who was she to ultimately say how things would play out? She knew what all she went through for her happy ending and she knew you sure as hell couldn't fight fate.

So maybe this was all a part of fate she asked herself. And although Meredith thought she had been the queen of dark and twisty, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for Jo because this definitely was going to be dark and twisty for her on-top of everything else that she was probably going through from what she heard Alex saying.

So she asked "You're going to talk to him tonight?" Meredith asked in a non-believing voice.

"Yes tonight, Meredith. I have to do this. I'll explain everything to you later. Please, is he here?" Izzie let the hint of demand creep out through her voice.

Meredith knew little about the situation tonight, but she knew also how Alex and Jo felt, and she still knew that regardless Jo's life was about to completely get rattled, and so she couldn't help but relate.

So Meredith tried again "Izzie, Alex isn't here and I don't think that tonight would be the best night to try and talk to him."

And then Meredith knew for sure that none of this was about to go good because she had never seen Izzie move so quickly because out the door she went with just a "Thanks Meredith"

She had no idea what to think or what could possibly be so important that it couldn't wait but she could only assume one thing and one thing only. And that was that this was all about to be a big damn deal.

Meredith knew exactly where Izzie was going.


	4. Chapter 4

Jo was no longer running. Not only because she was rather exhausted but because she needed the time within her walk to Alex's house to think about exactly what she was going to say to him.

She had sprinted away from the park bench letting her questions cause her to be angry and she wanted nothing more than to scream at Alex and ask him what and more importantly why the hell he would go and do something like that for.

But now as she was casually walking down the street, she let her heart change her mind. Yes, she was still hurt. But instead of yelling at Alex like she had planned, she didn't want to be mean at all. Yes, she still wanted to know what on earth ever possessed him to act that way towards her. But she couldn't help fight the feeling in her heart and she knew that wasn't Alex at all.

Yes, he could be a complete asshole in need of a complete attitude adjustment. But she had been his best friend. She had known that all along. She had accepted then and so she couldn't help but let her heart win this time by telling herself that she had to accept it now.

She knew who he was. And she knew she had been lying. So she couldn't help but take the blame as well. And she also knew that she, as well, had an attitude that could match his on because as soon as he walked through the curtain, instead of being happy for him being there and telling the truth like she should have, she was an ass too and immediately let her brain do all the talking

She just wanted to get passed this all and move on with their lives. He was her best friend and she still wanted nothing more than for them to be best friends.

The feeling that started to consume her was unexplainable.

Her heart was aching and lurching inside her chest at the simple thought of finding Alex and making things right between them. She couldn't explain it. Her heart was telling her that she couldn't live without him and she had never felt that way about anyone before.

She was trying to deny the feeling but she couldn't deny the way her heart was feeling right now. She just had to make things right with him. She was going to find him and tell him the truth about everything and she hoped more than anything that he would forgive her and that they could still be friends. Or even possibly more than friends if she didn't try to fight what her heart was clearly telling her.

It was just so indescribable. Whether they were just to continue being friends or whether there could possibly be more, she knew she had to find him and she had to find him now.

She was on her way straight to where she expected him to be.

000

Izzie sat in her cab that was now in drive towards Alex's home. It was his new home but it was also their old home.

She had loved Alex. She always had and she knew she always would.

Life had just happened to her and she knew her calling was elsewhere and so that on-top of just wanting to be an independent woman and figure things out on her own, she left.

She had left Alex. She had left her husband. She had left one of her best friends. She had left one of her persons. And it hurt. And she knew exactly why it hurt.

She knew that Alex, along with Meredith, Christina, and George, before he had passed away, that they had all been her persons. They had never given up on her. They stuck by her side through not only the good but the totally unexpected bad as well. And she had just up and left them.

And it hurt her to think about it.

But she also knew that everything does and was happening and had happened for a reason. That was who she was then and she still knew who she was now. She knew what she had to do and so she did it. And although, she hurt her persons along the way, she couldn't help but still hope that everything would turn out for the best.

She was ready now. She was ready to move forward with her life. She had to make things right with Alex so when the cab pulled up outside and she saw him making his way out the front door, she couldn't stop her mind from going crazy, her heart from racing, or her mouth from saying what she knew she was about to say.

No matter what he said back, she tried convincing herself, she still knew she had to do what she had to do.

And so she opened the cab door and stepped out.

000

Alex had been making his way out of the front door of his house when he saw the cab pull up out of the corner of his eye. He could only see the front nose of it from where he stood but he hoped more than anything that it was Jo and that she too decided that they had and should work this all out.

He quickly made his way down his steps and he couldn't help but question the irony because he felt as if he was just hit by a bus… It was Izzie.

She was there. She had been his person. Or he thought she had been but either way she had always been one of the main persons in his life.

But for some reason, in that moment, he didn't think about just Izzie and the relationship they once shared. When he met his eyes with hers, he couldn't help but think of George, Meredith, and Christina as well.

He didn't understand why they were all his first thought instead of just Izzie. He couldn't explain it but within that moment, he finally started to understand a new realization of not only life but himself.

It wasn't as if he was ever going to just completely forget Izzie like he somehow thought he was going to. He thought he would just be able to wake up one day and that the hurt she had caused him, he would somehow possibly forget.

He then understood why he thought of them all…because they had all been his persons… then. Meredith and Christina obviously still were and even though Izzie wasn't in his life anymore, he still couldn't help but think of her as one his persons as well. She had been such a big part of his life. And he would never deny the fact that he still loved her, he knew a part of him would always love her.

And most importantly, he asked himself what type of man he would be if he actually could not allow himself to still love her?

She was Izzie. She was a kind, sweet, beautiful person and he knew that. Even though she had left him like she did, he couldn't help but feel now that everything was happening and had happened for a reason.

He knew that things change, feelings change, and people change. He would never deny the impact that Izzie had on his life, and as much as he knew that he loved her, he knew that he wasn't …in love with her.

And that's when it hit him. How much he loved her. Just how much he freaking loved her. As much as everyone tried telling him and as much as he tried ignoring it, he knew that he freaking loved her.

He had never kissed her, he had never touched her, and he had never even come close to sleeping with her, and he loved her. He couldn't believe he had allowed himself to be so blind, he freaking loved her. He was never even sure that he had liked her like that and now he freaking loved her.

He never realized it until he looked into Izzie's eyes but he now knew without a doubt that he was in love with Jo Wilson.

Izzie just stood there trapped from thought and movement when she met Alex's eyes with her own. She knew exactly why she had come and she knew exactly what she was thinking and most importantly she knew exactly what she had to do to make this all okay.

She and Alex both knew that they were thinking the same thing… If only they knew that they were thinking the same thing.

They started gravitating slowly towards each other and then Izzie quickly closed the gap between them by pulling Alex into her arms and kissing him.

And he kissed her back. They both meant it with all their hearts. It was true and it was truth. They both knew exactly how each other felt and so they pulled back and looked at each other and spoke at the same time.

"You're Happy!"

And they were. But they were both now in a fact happier than what they ever thought they could be.

That kiss was the closure that they both had needed to move forward with their lives.

Izzie had moved away and met and fell in love with a guy but she had always let her feelings for and towards Alex hold herself back from being happy.

She knew that she had done Alex terribly wrong and so she couldn't fully allow herself to completely give herself to the new man that she let into her life. And she wanted nothing more than to fully love him and truly be happy with him so this was her letting go of her regrets she had with Alex.

Alex realized that when Izzie had moved away, he always let his feelings for her and towards her hold himself back from allowing him on self to love or be loved by anyone else, let alone be happy!

Alex and Izzie loved each other and they always would. There was no reason that they shouldn't. They had been best friends and they could continue to be good friends.

They both realized that they had meant that kiss. And it meant that they now understood fully that everything that ever happened between them happened for a reason because it ultimately led them exactly to where they were meant to be.

And for each of them, that was the one person that they were meant to have for the rest of their lives.

And that was the person they were meant to love in only that loving way for the rest of their lives.

Izzie looked him into his eyes and said what she had to say "There's someone else for Izzie!"

And Alex looked her into her eyes and said what he had to say "There's someone else for Alex!"

They laughed. That was them. And now they knew.

They knew that they had just let go of everything that was holding them back from allowing themselves to not only love themselves but their persons the way that they could and most importantly should.

And with that Izzie walked back towards her cab, Alex opened the door for her, and they smiled at each other.

They were both happy. And so they both allowed themselves to finally go their separate ways.

Izzie knew exactly where she was going and that was to find her person and tell him how much she loved him.

Alex knew exactly where he was going and that was to find his person and tell him how much he loved her.

000

Jo knew exactly why she had gone from walking to running again in an instant. What she didn't realize was how fast she had actually been running because it wasn't until she stopped to catch her breath that she realized she couldn't.

All of the alcohol she had consumed then started to catch up to her…or catch out of her anyway…because she started vomiting right there on the sidewalk where she was currently standing.

She was disgusted. Not only for the fact that she was throwing up but for the fact that she thought she maybe could have actually gotten Alex to not only understand her but forgive her.

After everything she had planned on the bark bench and then after everything she planned on the walk over, although she didn't want to understand why she felt this way, she completely understood why she had in fact changed her mind yet again.

She had been walking, still casually, towards Alex house and she had almost made it to talk to him because she could see him from within a distance from across the street.

And as bad as she wanted to descend in one swift movement and enclose the gap that was in between them.

She couldn't it.

Because she saw what she saw and she would have given anything not to seen it.

And so she had run.

And now she didn't know if she was puking because of the emotional toll her day had had on her, because of how fast she had just been running, or because her heart was breaking at the fact that she had just saw Alex passionately making out with his ex-wife.

She knew without knowing exactly who she was. Even though she had been in the distant, she could see the look in Alex's eyes.

She knew that it was Izzie.

She just knew.

And she now knew she was sick over the fact that she would never have her best friend.

She knew exactly how she felt and she knew she didn't like it.

She had no idea what she was going to do and no idea where she was going to go.


End file.
